1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to handle and seat covers, and more particularly pertains to a handle cover and seat cover for a conventional shopping cart. Infants and small children frequently ride in the infant seat provided on conventional shopping carts. These small children grip the handle of the shopping cart, which has been contacted by numerous individuals and other children. Small children, and especially babies, also like to put their mouths on the shopping cart handle. These infants also frequently put their hands in their mouth after contacting the shopping cart handle. These behavior characteristics of infants and small children creates a hazard of the transmission of dirt, germs and disease between individuals. Also, the infant seats of conventional shopping carts are formed from hard plastic or rigid wire components. These seats are frequently soiled and are also uncomfortable for the rider. In order to solve these problems, the present invention provides handle and seat covers which may be easily transported and quickly installed on child seats of conventional shopping carts.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of handle and seat covers are known in the prior art. A typical example of such a handle cover is to be found in U.S. Pat. No. 2,141,881, which issued to W. Schray on Dec. 27, 1938. This patent discloses a shopping cart having a metal U-shaped handle provided with a covering grip. U.S. Pat. No. 2,220,150, which issued: to S. Goldman on Nov. 5, 1940, discloses a folding cart provided with a U-shaped handle having a grip covering. U.S. Pat. No. 2,508,670, which issued to S. Goldman on May 23, 1950, discloses a baby seat for attachment to shopping carts. This removable baby seat is formed from rigid wire struts and hard sheet metal. U.S. Pat. No. 3,909,034, which issued to A. Trubiano on Sept. 30, 1975, discloses a shopping cart having a baby seat formed from rigid wire struts. A handle of the shopping cart is provided with hooks for supporting various articles. U.S. Pat. No. 3,993,319, which issued to G. Day on Nov. 23, 1976, discloses a check writing desk for a shopping cart. The desk is formed from a flat sheet of rigid material which is pivotally mounted for movement between operative and storage positions.
While the above mentioned devices are suited for their intended usage, none of these devices provide a shopping cart handle cover which may be quickly installed and folded to a compact size for storage and transportation. Additionally, none of the aforesaid devices discloses the use of a foldable seat cover in conjunction with a handle cover adapted for use with conventional shopping carts. Inasmuch as the art is relatively crowded with respect to these various types of handle and seat covers, it can be appreciated that there is a continuing need for and interest in improvements to such handle and seat covers, and in this respect, the present invention addresses this need and interest.